Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-04-13
TERRIBLE COMBAT.
A Fight Betwoen Two Jealous
Lions Near an Algerian Pool
Description OF Thrilling Hand-to-Efand
contiict Between Untamed Bsasta-
a Wounded Lioncss' Brave
Fight for Her Klfo

realize the excitement caused by Witness
ing o hand-to-hand conflict bo.ween twa
savage untamed beasts. have witnessed
bull-fGhts in Mexico and soon python
crush the life out Of a calf In South Amer
lea, but never gazed on moro thrilling
episode than on one hot Algerian night ah
o water pool about two hundred miles In
the interior. Beside the pool were several
trees of fair size, in the branches Of ono of
which had bccn placed small platform.
hidden among the clustered leaves, from
which hiding place it was convenient 10
shoot any animals that might como to tho
pool to drink during the night Thithee
repaired, one evening soon aftcr sun
down, Aaccovoy and myself, accompanied
by his Arab servant, young fellow
named Asilla, who bore our spare guns
and acted rs general factotum
to uS both on expeditions Of this nature,
II is difficult for me, in my cooler mo-
ments, to climb a tree, and the smooth,
straight stem proved extremely trouble
some TO swarm. However, with the help
Of Mac and Asilla ! managed IL and 30,
cured comfortable perch.
The moon roso gradually and I had q
good opportunity to study perfect silence.
Nothing can be moro deeply silent than o
still night in the desert As there is little or
no vegetation on these vast oceans Of
sand there is no insect life, and for sev-
eral hours after the moon rose absolute
silence rcigned We did not speak.
There was no wind. 1t seemed as II there
wGs no living thing in that widespread
expalse of country. was beginning "a
feel sleepy and nod frequently, when
aprolopgcd roar sounded close at hand.
In an instant wo wore wido awakS
and grasped our guns nervously. A. the
ncxt instant the roar was answered from
= location Immediately bcueath uA On
looking down we saw a lioness, lying on
her belly, her head between her paws, AMI
her long tail waving luxuriously TO and
tro. She looked like huge cat enjoying
some plea asurable sensation. Almost in.
stantiy third ''woof! woofW sounded aG
our backs "Gad, Doci" breathed Mac,
tive are in for bay to-nightw and mo-
ment later two magnificent males stepped
slowly and majesticallv into view. Tho
female continued 10 purr and wave her tAia
gently.
AS soon as the two lions sPicd each 9th.
sr they prepared FOR action Slowly and
carelessly they ncnred each other, the
honess meanwhile watching thon as O cot
1oes mouse. Closer and closer they
1rew, while we, spell-bound, reserved our
DIRE to witness the terrible duel that wa
impending.
And now thcy crouch, and, with mutual
roars OF rage. spring at each other, and,
meeting In midleap, fall, biting and tear.
ing, TO the earth. We can hear their
bones crush between their powerful jaws
like egg-shells beneath a mans boot-hocl
The honcss, maintaining her tranquil at.
htude, watched the conflict, rs 1t seemed
to my excited eyes, with q devilish smile
On her face. Over and over they rolled,
while the sickening sound Of champing
bones filled the air, mingled with their
frantic roaring and the movement Of their
bodies as they thrashed through the whirl-
ng sand. By this time my nerves wore
30 wrought up that l could stand the tor
rifle spectacle no longer, and, taking
deliberate aim at the lioness behind hor
,houider.blade, lot ny. Above
bore sounded the shrek of tho MonesS.
Is the heavy ball crashed into her vitals.
"he two duslists at once ceased their en-
counter, and, as one OF them turned, he
received Maccovoy's rifc bullet In thu
head, tho missile piercing tho hollow over
he eye, where the skull is weak, and en-
tering the brain death was almost instan-
tancous. Tho othcS, with thundoring
wool" gave mighty spring and landed
half way up the tree trunk, nearly shak,
ing US from our perch. Asilla hastily dis-
charged one Of the spare guns slap- bang
INTO his face, but probably the charge only
grazed him, for, falling back, he disap-
peared into the darkness toward whore
the means and cries Of the lioness grows
fainter and fainter every moment
The moon beng on the wanc, after ali
sounds had ceased we returned TO camp.
with many promises to each other TO taka
up the spoor OF our wounded encmies In
The mOrninO md e. 4kal-
teath. Accordingly at daybreak, with .
party Of fifty Arab bcaters, we returned
% tho stand and were soon on tho
ypoor OF the wounded lioness The sand
was torn up for quito a space, as II tho
animal had suffered terrible agony, and
following tho trail for at least nine milca
N q south-easterly direction, tho dogs
gave tongue at tamarisk brake that OK.
Tended on three sides Of quite q quantity
II brackish water. Some four or i've Of
shc dogs, of better blood than the average
Arab cur, dashed into the tangle, and the
next instant We had the satisfaction Of
seeing the mangled remains Of ono flung
1p in The Dir from about the center Of the
patch. 4 chorus of yelps and snarlings
now set in. and one disconsolnte CUT
imped painfully out, his ribs bare of flesh
where the honess' paw had struck him.
We were now in a predicament After sn
aour's Internal clattor By the beaters wa
were as far from getting her royal high
ness out as ever, for show herself she
would not. ''lf the tamarisk 10 only dry
enough" Quoth Mac, Eve can smoke her
,ut," and he galloped round through tha
oeaters, and soon volley Of flaming
,rches rained into the brake. This fetched
aer. She made gallant charge out, and
almost up TO US, before we gave her all
Tour bar rels. 1t stopred her, and for o
moment the noble beast seemed stunned.
Then, as the smoke cleared away, we saw
ier return 10 the shelter. More torches
we're thrown in, and four separate times
lid the desperate honess charge us dos
eerately, and receive our hre, before biting
he duat